While it’s easy enough to purchase a brand-new kayak with the simple click of a mouse, doing so is not nearly as fun or fulfilling as building one from scratch. Local artist Kimberley Hillerich and long-time boat builder Dennis Pidgeon have opened Skipping Fish Boat School to provide residents of the River City the unique opportunity of hand-crafting traditional Greenland, skin-on-frame kayaks. And this summer they will offer their instruction to young people, ages 13-17, during two separate camp sessions.

Former South Dakota Representative, Senator and Presidential Candidate George McGovern has had an active retirement from elected office. Since leaving the Senate in 1981 he’s taught, served as an ambassador, run for president again and written several books. His 13th book celebrates the 16th President, Abraham Lincoln. McGovern will discuss the book Sunday at 5:00 at the First Church of Christ Scientist in Louisville. On his way into town he spoke with Gabe Bullard about Lincoln and how the lessons of history can be applied today.

Spare writing, violent scenes and unforgiving landscape, all terms to be used to describe Robert Olmstead’s latest novel, Far Bright Star. Set in the harsh land of New Mexico and Mexico of 1916, Olmstead tells the story of brothers and soldiers Napoleon and Xenophon Childs and their hunt for the villain Pancho Villa. Far Bright Star is the second in Olmstead’s trilogy that began with the critically acclaimed Coal Black Horse. Join WFPL’s Robin Fisher as she talks with Olmstead about his writing, the portrayal of violence in fiction and how landscape becomes a character.